Author: Jess Smith

In The Know – SONOMA

The race in Sonoma this weekend will mark the second of six road-course races on the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Get up-to-speed on race info, driver stats, our weekly wraps and more below as we tackle the winding road in wine country.

The Details

NASCAR Cup Series Overview

●  Event:  Save Mart 350k (Round 16 of 36)
●  Time/Date:  4 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 12
●  Location:  Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway
●  Layout:  1.99-mile, 10-turn road course
●  Laps/Miles:  110 laps/218.9 miles (352.3 kilometers)
●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 25 laps / Stage 2: 30 laps / Final Stage: 55 laps
●  TV/Radio:  FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

THE BROADCAST

The boss is in the booth for Sonoma! Be sure to catch all the action Sunday on FS1.

SHR FAST FACTS

Kevin Harvick:
Harvick is one of six NASCAR Cup Series drivers competing in the Save Mart 350k who hail from California. The driver of the No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang is from Bakersfield, and the native Californians joining him on the grid at Sonoma include his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Cole Custer (Ladera Ranch), reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson (Elk Grove), two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick (Corning), AJ Allmendinger (Los Gatos) and Joey Hand (Sacramento).

When Harvick scored his first road-course victory at Watkins Glen in 2006, he had to beat his current team owner to do it. Tony Stewart – the “Stewart” in Stewart-Haas Racing – had won the past two NASCAR Cup Series races at the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course and was poised to capture a third straight win as he was leading Harvick with four laps to go in the 90-lap race. But Harvick, who had already led once for 24 laps, passed Stewart on lap 87 as the two drag-raced down the frontstretch and into turn one. Harvick held onto the lead despite Stewart in his rearview mirror, earning a margin of victory of .892 of a second.

Aric Almirola:
After 15 races this season, Almirola is the only driver in the NASCAR Cup Series without a DNF (Did Not Finish). He has completed all but five laps of the 4,240 run this year – a 99.9 percent completion rate.

History at Sonoma Raceway: In nine starts at Sonoma, Almirola has two top-10 finishes, and he finished on the lead lap in all but one of those nine starts. The 38-year-old earned his two top-10 finishes in his first two starts at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Last weekend at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois, near St. Louis, Almirola ran inside the top-10 for the majority of the race, earned 11 stage points, and crossed the finish line fifth to earn his second top-five and fifth top-10 of the season.

Chase Briscoe:
Briscoe has one start at the 1.99-mile, 10-turn Sonoma road course. He started 25th and finished 17th last season. In eight Cup Series starts on road courses, Briscoe has three top-10 finishes and was just shy of earning his career first Cup Series victory on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last summer.

The 27-year-old racer from Mitchell, Indiana, picked up two Xfinity Series wins on road courses – his first career Xfinity Series victory was in the series’ inaugural race on the Charlotte Roval in 2018. He also fulfilled his childhood dream of kissing the historic Yard of Bricks when he scored his fifth win of the 2020 season on the Indianapolis road course.

Cole Custer:
Sunday’s 90-lap, 350-kilometer race will be Custer’s 91st Cup Series start, his 11th on a road course, and his second on the 2.52-mile, 12-turn Sonoma circuit. The 24-year-old native of Ladera Ranch, California, started 23rd and finished 20th in his Cup Series debut at the track last year. His best previous Cup Series finish on a road course was ninth in the October 2020 race on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval en route to that year’s Rookie of the Year honors.

In his 11 road-course outings in the NASCAR Xfinity Series from 2017 through 2019, Custer finished outside the top-10 just once with a best result of fourth in the 2018 race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS

We’ve got some sweet, sweet Sonoma schemes. Check out our wine country wraps below.

What Our Drivers are Saying:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4  GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

The NextGen car seems to have acclimated well to all the tracks, but does it perform best on road courses since the car carries a lot of sports-car DNA?
“It’s definitely leaning more toward handling well at the road courses just because that’s kind of the nature of how it was designed. I think for me, our first road course was a lot more comfortable in the car than what we were last year. For the braking and things that come with this particular car, it’s been good for us on the road courses, so far.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Farmer John Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You’re heading to Sonoma with momentum from your most successful race of the season. How does that translate to a road course this weekend?
“We have had top-10 cars for the last handful of races but just couldn’t catch a break. From a cut tire to an untimely caution, we just haven’t been put in the best positions to finish where we run. To have put a full weekend together with no mistakes led us to a top-five and a good bit of stage points. It’s nice to head to a road course after this because we didn’t put ourselves in a hole. Our road-course program has steadily improved over time so, heading to Sonoma, we’ll try to have another mistake-free day and see where that lands us. We know what we’re capable of and we have to just put it all together and stay out of trouble.”

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Last year was your first time racing at Sonoma and you were still new to Cup Series racing. How have you evolved as a driver since then and how will it help you this weekend?
“Last year was tough. Sonoma is a super technical track, and the only experience I had there was in the ARCA West race the day before, so I didn’t have a whole lot to use to prepare. I think I’ve become more confident as a driver. Last year, I was trying really hard to learn how to race in the Cup Series while not messing up other drivers and I realized I had to get over that. I learned a lot more by getting up there and racing these guys to see what I could figure out from how they drive certain tracks. This season has been good so far. We got off a little after the Phoenix win, and COTA didn’t really go the way we wanted, but I’m excited to get to another road course and see how it goes. This car is much better on road courses than what we’ve had in the past and I think this is a chance for us to get another really good finish and maybe another win to secure our spot in the playoffs a little more than it is now.”

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 AutoDesk/HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Are there any things you can apply to this weekend that you learned during your previous visits to Sonoma?
“Like I said, it’s just such a technical racetrack and it’s definitely nice to have some laps around there. There’s so much (tire) fall-off and so much you have to do to try and make it around those slick corners. It’s not an easy place to get around, so having those laps definitely help, but I’m sure in the NextGen car it’s going to be a little bit different trying to figure out how you’re going to make your way through those corners and be patient. It’s going to be a lot of learning pretty fast.”

GEN-Z TERMS: SUS

Kevin Harvick, Cole Custer, Aric Almirola , Riley Herbst, and our pit crew try to decode the meaning of yet another Gen-Z term: Sus. Do you think they can get it right?

In The Know – ST Louis

The NASCAR Cup Series will make its first visit to St. Louis with the Enjoy Illinois 300 this weekend. Get up-to-speed on race info, driver stats, our weekly wraps and more below.

The Details

NASCAR Cup Series Overview

●  Event:  Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter (Round 15 of 36)
●  Time/Date:  3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 5
●  Location:  Madison, Illinois, near St. Louis
●  Layout:  1.25-mile oval
●  Laps/Miles:  240 laps/300 miles
●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 45 laps / Stage 2: 95 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
●  TV/Radio:  FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

SHR FAST FACTS

Kevin Harvick:
Harvick first competed at what was originally known as Gateway International Raceway on Sept. 19, 1998 in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. A 22-year-old Harvick started 21st and finished 11th in his 39th career Truck Series start. Harvick returned to Gateway a year later for his second Truck Series start at the track, starting 10th and finishing 27th. But it was his third start at Gateway – this time in a NASCAR Xfinity Series car on July 29, 2000 – that proved to be Harvick’s breakthrough moment. In his 21st career Xfinity Series start – and first in an Xfinity Series car at Gateway – Harvick won to score his first Xfinity Series victory, beating Jeff Purvis by 1.338 seconds. Harvick would go on to win two more Xfinity Series races that year en route to a third-place finish in the championship standings. In his return to Gateway the following year, Harvick successfully defended his Xfinity Series win by beating Jason Keller for the victory by .165 of a second. It was his third win of a five-win season that culminated with the 2001 Xfinity Series championship. Harvick won a second Xfinity Series title in 2006 and he has 47 career Xfinity Series wins.

In all, Harvick made five Xfinity Series starts at Gateway, leading a total of 332 laps and completing all but two of the 1,000 laps available.

Harvick has three Truck Series starts at Gateway, with his third and final start on July 17, 2010 being his best. Harvick won the pole and dominated, leading 143 of the race’s 160 laps to beat Brad Keselowski by 5.241 seconds. It was the ninth of his 14 career Truck Series victories.

Aric Almirola:
While Cup series racing at Gateway will be new to Almirola, his three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts there give him plenty of confidence heading to the 1.25-mile oval. In the 2006 Truck Series race, Almirola started 22nd and finished 10th, in 2009 he started 15th and earned a solid fourth-place finish, and in 2010 he started 16th before leading 16 laps and finishing eighth.

Almirola is no stranger to performing well at inaugural Cup Series events. Last year, the Cup Series for the first time visited Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile oval similar in size to Gateway. After a string of bad luck leading into that weekend, Almirola and the No. 10 Ford team earned the pole, led a lap and finished fourth.

Chase Briscoe:
Briscoe made one Truck Series start at Gateway in 2017. He started on the pole and led twice for a race-high 88 of 160 laps to finish in the runner-up position. It was his fourth top-five finish in the first eight races of the season. Briscoe went on to win the final race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leading to Rookie of the Year honors and the Most Popular Driver award.

The 2021 Cup Series Rookie of the Year is fresh off a fourth-place finish in the series’ longest race of the year, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Briscoe spun while battling Kyle Larson for the lead on the penultimate lap but rallied during overtime to earn his third top-five of the season.

Briscoe is 13th in the driver championship with 14 of 36 races complete. He is 140 points out of first and currently holds a spot in the 16-driver playoff field by virtue of his March 13 win at Phoenix Raceway.

Cole Custer:
The driver of the No. 41 Feeding America®/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) had a solid three-year run at Gateway in three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series appearances from 2014 through 2016, all in the No. 00 Haas Automation entry. He qualified on the pole and finished sixth in his first outing in June 2014. He followed that up with his second of two career Truck Series wins in June 2015, when he started second and led 19 laps along the way, beating runner-up Spencer Gallagher to the checkered flag by .871 of a second. In June 2016, his most recent outing, he started eighth and finished 15th.

Sunday afternoon’s 300-mile race will be Custer’s 90th Cup Series start.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS

Check out the paint schemes we’ll be racing in as we tackle 6oo miles this weekend.

What Our Drivers are Saying:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4  #BuschLightPolite Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You made a total of five Xfinity Series starts at Gateway, winning two of them. What does it take to be good there?
“Well, it’s two drastically different ends of the racetrack. I know, for us, the thing that we always concentrate on is trying to make your car turn really well to and through the center of the corner on both ends, and being able to do that is difficult at Gateway because the two ends of the track are so different, and you wind up probably downshifting in turns one and two. With what they’ve done with the track – it’s different pavement than what I raced on a long time ago – it’ll be interesting to see if they put resin down or PJ1 down to make that top groove go. But, for the most part, you want to be right next to those curbs and carry as much speed as you can through the center of the corner, and as much partial throttle until you can get the car rotated enough to be wide open. But you have to get through the center of the corner there.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Built Ford Proud Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are your thoughts heading to the inaugural Cup Series race at St. Louis?
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been there in a truck. Since then the track has been repaved and has had a lot of upgrades, so it’s going to be new to me, but also new to everyone. Getting 50 minutes of practice will be helpful. I’m looking forward to it. We went to Nashville in the Cup cars last year for the first time and we qualified on the pole and ran in the top-five all day. I hope to do something very similar for our first time at Gateway. We’ve had to adapt to new scenarios all year and I know this 10 team can do it.” 

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 HighPoint Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are a few of the things you expect to encounter on Sunday?
“A lot of shifting and probably not much passing. I think, in general, races this year have been a lot more exciting and I think that will continue, but I feel like it’s going to be really difficult to pass guys and track position will be really important.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 Feeding America®/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

We’re headed into the summer stretch of the schedule. How would you describe where you and the No. 41 team are right now?
“I think we’ve shown we have speed, at times. At Martinsville we ran really well, at the road courses we’ve been fast. I think we’ve had potential at times, but we’ve definitely just struggled at the mile-and-a-halves, although Sunday at Charlotte all four SHR cars worked their way into contention at the end of the race. Before Charlotte, for whatever reason – aero or mechanical or whatever it is – we’ve just gone down the wrong path a little bit. The car’s been driveable, so I’m happy with that. It’s just going to be a process of trial and error without much practice to be able to really get to where we need to be on a consistent basis. You only get so many chances to get it right going into the weekend.”

THE BOSS JOINS ANOTHER HALL OF FAME

Join us in congratulating our boss Tony Stewart on being inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame this weekend.

#BUSCHLIGHTPOLITE

Dontcha just love Busch Light and its Twitter promotions? You betcha! So, with Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang coming to St. Louis for the inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series race, Busch Light wanted to showcase some hometown hospitality and highlight the politeness of Midwesterners. As such, Harvick will drive the #BuschLightPolite Ford Mustang in Sunday’s race in St. Louis – the home of Anheuser-Busch and the gateway to the Midwest. When the green flag drops at 3:30 p.m. EDT, fans should kick off their tennis shoes, follow @BuschBeer and tune into FS1’s coverage of the race. Then, every time Harvick makes a pass during the race, @BuschBeer will encourage fans to tweet the hashtags #BuschLightPolite and #Sweepstakes for the chance to win a garage fridge to hold all their brewskis.

#Fordforthebuilders

Calling all builders! This weekend, Ford will adorn the No. 10 Ford Mustang at Gateway with a special campaign and paint scheme that celebrates builders as part of their “Built Ford Proud” program. Ford wants to celebrate not only those who build Ford vehicles, but also those who put in the hard work and take pride in building something special. With 182,000 employees globally, Ford believes that hard work is what builds the future. You may not know their names, but these builders wake up every day working together to move us all forward. This weekend at Gateway, you will know their names. Included on the car design will be the names of the builders of the No. 10 Ford Mustang and the names of builders at the Ford assembly and stamping plants, located in Chicago. Above the driver-side window, Stewart-Haas Racing will highlight a special “Builder of the Week”, Keith Brady. Brady, who has worked in the industry for over 30 years, is the lead car shop technician for the No. 10 team and has played a key role in the transition and assembly of the NextGen car model. Opposite of Brady’s name above the passenger side window, will be Ford’s “Builder of the Week”, Phil Pryor. Pryor is a pre-delivery team member at Ford’s Chicago assembly plant and has been a proud Ford builder for 57 years.

In The Know – Charlotte

This Memorial Day Weekend, we race for something more. As part of #NASCARSalutes and the 600 Miles of Remembrance initiative during the Coca-Cola 600, each of our teams will honor a fallen soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  Below you’ll find everything you need to know about one of the most grueling races on the NASCAR circuit.

The Details

NASCAR Cup Series Overview

●  Event:  Coca-Cola 600 (Round 14 of 36)
●  Time/Date:  6 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 29
●  Location:  Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway
●  Layout:  1.5-mile oval
●  Laps/Miles:  400 laps/600 miles
●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 100 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Stage 3: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
●  TV/Radio:  FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

The BROADCAST

SHR FAST FACTS

Kevin Harvick:
As part of #NASCARSalutes and the 600 Miles of Remembrance initiative during the Coca-Cola 600, the No. 4 Mobil 1 team is honoring Lance Corporal Phillip G. West of the United States Marines Corps. West was based out of Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California, where he served in the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. The American Canyon, California-native served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he was the first Napa County resident to die in the Iraq War, succumbing to injuries on Nov. 19, 2004 in Fallouja. West was deeply committed to his military service, often telling family and friends, “If we don’t do it, who’s going to do it?” West joined the Marine Corps delayed-entry program in August 2002 and after graduating from high school, he shipped off to boot camp in San Diego. He graduated from boot camp, then infantry school, and deployed to Iraq in June 2004. Once in Iraq, West achieved the rank of Lance Corporal.

Kevin Harvick is a two-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600. He took the trophy in 2011 and 2013. Harvick beat David Ragan by .703 of a second in 2011 and he beat Kasey Kahne by 1.490 seconds in 2013. Harvick led only two laps in 2011 and just 28 laps in 2013, but each of those tallies contained the only lap that mattered most – the last one.

Harvick has earned two poles at Charlotte. The first came in the 2016 Bank of America 500 (27.547 seconds at 196.029 mph) and the second came in the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 (27.918 seconds at 193.424 mph).

This year’s Coca-Cola 600 will mark Harvick’s 40th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte. The Bakersfield, California-native has nine top-fives and 20 top-10s in a career dating back to the 2001 Coca-Cola 600, which was Harvick’s first points-paying race at Charlotte. In that 4-hour and 20-minute affair, Harvick finished second to Jeff Burton and ahead of third-place Tony Stewart, the car owner of the No. 4 Mobil 1 team at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Aric Almirola:
 The Memorial Day weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.)Motor Speedway is one of the most patriotic events in sports, honoring fallen soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. This weekend, Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Smithfield Foods, and Aric Almirola will honor Pfc. Adam Lee Marion of the North Carolina Army National Guard, who was killed during an attack on his forward operating base in Baghdad, Iraq,in 2008, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The connection comes from spotter Joel Edmonds, who knew Marion at a young age and is a friend of Marion’s father.

Almirola and the Smithfield Ford team showed speed at 1.5-mile venues earlier this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he crossed the finish line sixth, two weeks ago at Kansas Speedway, where he qualified seventh and ran inside the top-10 until a mechanical issue put him two laps down, ultimately finishing 26th, and last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth where he qualified eighth for the NASCAR All-Star race and finished 12th.

Chase Briscoe:
The No. 14 team will honor the memory of U.S. Army Sgt. Larry Robert (Bobby) Bowman, a North Carolina native, as part of NASCAR’s annual “600 Miles of Remembrance.” Sgt. Bowman, of Granite Falls, died April 13, 2007, when his vehicle struck a roadside improvised explosive device during a mission in Baghdad. He was serving his second tour in Iraq with the 513th Transportation Company, 57th Transportation Battalion, 593rd Corps Support Group as a heavy vehicle driver delivering food, water, fuel and other mission critical supplies. He was scheduled to return home just three months later.

In four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts on the Charlotte oval, Briscoe has a best finish of sixth last May after starting second. While he’s still looking for his first win on the oval layout, he has visited Charlotte’s victory lane after scoring his first career Xfinity Series victory on the Roval in October 2018.

Cole Custer:
As part of NASCAR’s annual “600 Miles of Remembrance” during the traditional Memorial Day weekend event, the name of U.S. Army Cpl. Joshua McKay Moore will be displayed on the windshield of Custer’s No. 41 Ford Mustang. Moore was born on Nov. 30, 1986, and passed on May 30, 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq. He was part of the Army’s, C Company, 1-18 infantry, 1st platoon, 2nd battalion, 1st ID, FOB Falcon. Moore was posthumously named a corporal for his efforts in the war. He and three others were killed when the Hummer they were in ran over an improvised explosive device during his second deployment to the region. He was 20 years of age. Friends, family and relatives say Moore was someone who “everyone liked and, if you were around Josh and did not know him, it wouldn’t take long for you to get to know him. He was the life of the party and someone who made everyone around him better and happier.”

In his five career NASCAR Xfinity Series appearances on the Charlotte oval, Custer has four top-10 finishes with a best of second in the May 2018 race, when he was runner-up to winner Brad Keselowski in a race that ended under caution.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS

Check out the paint schemes we’ll be racing in as we tackle 6oo miles this weekend.

What Our Drivers are Saying:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4  Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What does it mean to honor and remember a military member on your No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford this Memorial Day weekend?
“There isn’t any sport that honors the military any better than NASCAR. I know a lot of sports do a lot of things for our military, but when you roll into this particular weekend with the Coke 600 and you’re a part of the celebration and remembrance for all the things that have happened with our military, to see the support that NASCAR and everybody in our garage gives the military, especially on this particular weekend, is something that gives you goosebumps.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What do you think about your paint scheme for this weekend?
“Man this has to be my favorite one as far as looks go. That red, white and blue striping is just beautiful. We have run this similar scheme before, but it looks even better with the number placement. I’m glad Smithfield kept this one going for us and the fans.” 

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Teams tested the NextGen car at Charlotte during the offseason. Does it help to already have laps on the track?
“It’s definitely the one track I feel like the most people have the most laps at as far as with this car. But, every time we were testing at Charlotte, we were running different packages. I’ve never run the current package at Charlotte. This track is unique and sensitive. It does have some tire falloff. It’s really heat-sensitive, and one of the rougher racetracks we go to. But yeah, I don’t know, I don’t know what to expect for the 600.”

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 Chicken Cock Whiskey  Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Do you do anything different to prepare for a race as long as the Coca-Cola 600?
“The 600 is definitely the longest race I’ve ever run. I think the biggest thing is staying hydrated and making sure you’re loose before the race and not sore. Just try and relax, especially in the first part of the race. At halfway, you just need to try and settle in and get some laps done. The thing about it is you can’t really relax too much because you have to fight for the stage points, and fight for track position as much as you can. You have to stay hydrated. I guess there’s the need for a snack in there somewhere, too, but it’s definitely the longest, most grueling race that I’ve run.”

TONY’S DOUBLE DUTY

With the Indy 500 and Coca Cola 600 this weekend, take a look back at Tony Stewart’s 2001 Double Duty performance. The boss is the only driver to complete both races on the same day.

In The Know – NASCAR ALL-STAR 

Our racers will be driving for some cold, hard cash on Sunday night at the NASCAR All-Star Race — $1 million, to be exact. We’re breaking down everything you need to know about the race in Texas where stars come out and $1 million is on the line.

The Details

NASCAR Cup Series Overview

●  Event:  NASCAR All-Star Race (non-points race)
●  Time/Date:  8 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 22
●  Location:  Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
●  Layout:  1.5-mile oval
●  Laps/Miles:  125 laps/187.5 miles
●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 25 laps / Stage 2: 25 laps / Stage 3: 25 laps / Final Stage: 50 laps
●  TV/Radio:  FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

The BROADCAST

Who will cash in this weekend? You can catch all the All-Star action on FS1 .

SHR FAST FACTS

Kevin Harvick:
Harvick has always been an all-star. Since his 2001 NASCAR Cup Series debut, Harvick has been a part of every NASCAR All-Star Race – the only active driver to do so. The driver of the No. 4 #BuschBacon Ford Mustang first earned entry into the All-Star Race by winning in just his third career Cup Series start on March 11, 2001 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth marks the 38th anniversary of the All-Star Race and it will be Harvick’s 22nd straight appearance in the race – the most of any active driver.

Harvick is a two-time winner of the All-Star Race. He won the specialty non-points race for the first time in 2007 by leading the final 20 laps and crossing the stripe .141 of a second ahead of second-place Jimmie Johnson. Harvick scored his second All-Star win in 2019 when he led twice for 36 laps, including the last 11, to take the victory by .325 of a second over Daniel Suárez. Both victories came at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Aric Almirola:
In four NASCAR All-Star Race starts, Almirola has only finished outside of the top-10 once. In seven All-Star Open or Sprint Showdown exhibition races, he has one win, which came last year at Texas, and has only finished outside of the top-10 once.

In 21 NASCAR Cup Series starts on the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval, Almirola has one top-five, five top-10s, and has led 101 laps.

Chase Briscoe:
Briscoe earned his berth in the $1 million-to-win All-Star Race by virtue of his win March 13 at Phoenix Raceway. The win also earned the 27-year-old driver a spot in the 16-driver playoff field. While Briscoe hopes to add a few more victories and further secure his playoff standing, he can be sure of one thing – that he’ll have hometown backing with MVP sponsoring four races during the playoff run – No. 14 on Sept. 11 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas Speedway, Sept. 17 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Oct. 2 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, and Oct. 23 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Cole Custer:
Custer has three points-paying Cup Series outings at the 1.5-mile Texas oval. His best finish there was 14th in November 2020 after an accident ended his day prematurely in the July race. He finished 19th there last November.

Custer was victorious at Texas in the November 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, one of his six outings there in that series. He has three other top-five finishes and an eighth-place result in his most recent Xfinity Series visit to Texas in November 2019.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS

Everything is bigger in Texas, including our paint schemes. Check out the wraps we’re takin’ with us to the All-Star Race.

What Our Drivers are Saying:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 #BuschBacon Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

This is your 22nd season in the NASCAR Cup Series and you’ll be making your 22nd straight appearance in the All-Star Race. You’re the only active driver who has been in the All-Star Race every single year of their NASCAR career. We’d call that a testament to your consistency. What would you call it?
“I was fortunate to win the first year and qualify for the All-Star Race and, after that, we were able to win the All-Star Race a couple of times, so we make sure we stay in it every year. Obviously, winning a championship doesn’t hurt with your qualification for that, either. For me, I think as you look at the All-Star Race, it’s fun to be a part of. It’s unique and it’s different and all those things combined, so it’s always been an interesting race.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 #BuschBacon Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What do you think about this weekend’s #BuschBacon promotion?
“Any time we get a chance to give our fans something to root for and something to win is always a cool opportunity. To have partners like Smithfield and Busch who invest in our fan base really helps the entire sport and gives our fans something to engage with during the races. I’m pretty familiar with giving away bacon for life so, hopefully, this collaboration brings us some good luck.”

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Is there any relief to not have to race your way into the All-Star Race through the Open this year?
“A little. Mostly, I just don’t have to worry about racing my way in while keeping the car in one piece for a second race. But it’s cool to get to know I’m already locked in. The All-Star Race is one of those races you want to have a chance to compete in when you get to the Cup Series but, if you don’t go into it knowing you’ve already got your spot, you know it’s going to be a pretty big task to earn your spot. Everyone wants to be part of it.”

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com  Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You’re attempting to make the NASCAR All-Star Race field for the third year in a row. What was your experience like in your first two outings?
“It’s unbelievable to be a part of the All-Star Race and it’s something that you can never take for granted because you never know if you’re going to be in it every single year. So we’re going to go all out to make it for the third year in a row. The chance to go for a million dollars and the possibilities of winning that and how that would change your life is definitely huge. To have that chance is unreal, so we’re not going to hold anything back.”

#BUSCHBACON

Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola have teamed up to deliver a lifetime supply of Busch Beer and Smithfield Bacon to the luckiest fan in the history of sponsor promotions. All fans need to do is tune into FS1’s broadcast of the All-Star Race beginning at 8 p.m. EDT on Sunday and follow @BuschBeer. Then, during the fourth lap and the 10th lap of every stage of the All-Star Race, tweet #BuschBacon for a chance to win the most coveted prize mankind has ever known – Busch Beer and Smithfield Bacon for life. Throughout the All-Star Race, Harvick’s No. 4 #BuschBacon Ford Mustang and Almirola’s No. 10 Smithfield #BuschBacon Ford Mustang will drive home the point that crispy Smithfield Bacon is best paired with a crisp Busch Light.

#BUSCHBACON PIT CREW BATTLE

The No. 4  and No. 10 pit crews are embracing #BuschBacon this week with some friendly competition. In the battle of bacon vs beer, who wins? Watch and find out.

WELCOME MAGICAL VACATION PLANNER

We’re excited to welcome Magical Vacation Planner (MVP), an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, as a partner of Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 team.
MVP was founded by Jamie Ane Eubanks alongside her husband JJ, a former professional basketball player, as a storefront travel agency in 2006. Today, it is a company that provides one of the best vacation planning services in the industry. It operates through three branches: MVP Parks, MVP Cruising and MVP Getaways. The company provides its exclusive and personalized, stress-free planning service at no additional expense to its clients, making the extensive array of Disney options and add-ons easy to understand and navigate. MVP actively seeks savings for its clients, monitoring early-morning releases of discounted room or vacation packages while also scouring existing reservations for price drops to where they can modify an existing reservation at the newfound lower price. MVP will also plan a family’s itinerary, expertly navigating Disney’s Genie + and Lighting Lane systems to maximize resort and park times by avoiding long lines while also securing those premium Disney dining experiences that include coveted character meetings.

The FORMAT

This year’s All-Star Race at Texas will be 125 laps and broken into four stages with the starting lineup being determined by a four-round qualifying format featuring head-to-head elimination rounds that highlight the speed and efficiency of each team’s pit crew. Here’s how qualifying will work:

• Opening round is the traditional single-car, one-lap format in reverse order of the current 2022 owner points.
• Fastest eight qualifiers transfer to a three-round, head-to-head elimination bracket.
• Elimination bracket will feature two cars staged in adjacent pit stalls near the end of pit road.
• At the sound of an alert, each pit crew will perform a four-tire stop and, at the drop of the jack, drivers will exit their respective pit stalls and return to the track, with no pit road speed limit.
• First car back to the start/finish line advances to the next round.
• Final pairing competes for the pole.

Once the starting field is set, the 38th edition of the All-Star Race will consist of four stages, with the first three stages 25 laps in length and the fourth and final stage being a 50-lap shootout for the $1 million prize.

• Stage 1 (25 laps): Stage 1 winner will start on the pole in the final stage as long as he finishes 15th or better in Stages 2 and 3.
• Stage 2 (25 laps): Stage 2 winner starts second in final stage as long as he finishes 15th or better in Stage 3.
• Special Stage Break (Pit Stop Competition): Each team must pit and perform a four-tire stop.The team with the shortest time on pit road (pit in/pit out) wins the pit crew award, and the driver will start fourth in the final stage as long as he finishes 15th or better in Stage 3.
• Stage 3 (25 laps): Stage 3 winner starts third in final stage.
• Stage 4 (50 laps): Stage 1 winner starts first, Stage 2 winner starts second, Stage 3 winner starts third, and pit stop competition winner starts fourth. If a caution for an on-track incident or debris happens between laps 15-25 of the final stage, standard race procedures will be in effect. If there is no caution during that time, NASCAR will call a competition caution. Winner of Stage 4 earns $1 million.

In The Know – KANSAS 

We’re bringing the sweet heat to Kansas Speedway, NASCAR’s Home in the Heartland. Get up to speed on everything you need to know for the race this weekend from broadcast info to driver soundbites.

The Details

NASCAR Cup Series Overview

● Event: AdventHealth 400 (Round 13 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 15
● Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

The BROADCAST

Ready to watch some racing this weekend? You can catch all the action from Kansas on FS1.

SHR FAST FACTS

Kevin Harvick:
Harvick has competed at the track for every one of its Cup Series races – one of only three drivers to do so (Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman being the others) – and has amassed quite the history in his 32 career starts. Three wins, five second-place finishes, 11 top-threes, 12 top-fives, 19 top-10s and 949 laps led make Harvick one of the most successful drivers in Kansas’ relatively young history. His average start is 13.1, his average finish is 8.9 and he has a lap completion rate of 98.7 percent.

Harvick’s recent history at Kansas amplifies his overall record at the 1.5-mile oval. Harvick has five straight top-10 finishes in his last five NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas. In his last four Kansas races, he has four consecutive top-fives. And in his last three Kansas races, Harvick has finished among the top-three, a run that includes two second-place finishes (May 2021 and October 2020).

Harvick scored his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Kansas in the 2013 Hollywood Casino 400 with a massive 1.140-second margin over runner-up Kurt Busch. Harvick scored his next Kansas win in the 2016 Hollywood Casino 400 with another impressive performance, crossing the stripe 1.183 seconds ahead of next best Carl Edwards. Harvick’s most recent Kansas victory came in May 2018 when he beat Martin Truex, Jr., by .390 of a second.

No one has led more laps at Kansas than Harvick. His 949 laps led around the 1.5-mile oval are 146 more laps than Truex, his nearest pursuer in this category.

Aric Almirola:
In 20 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has seven top-10 finishes and has led 69 laps.

Almirola arrives at Kansas 12th in the driver standings with 311 points, 142 out of first.

Chase Briscoe:
Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) is 13th in the driver championship point standings, 166 points out of first. With just 12 races complete, he currently holds a spot in the 16-driver playoff field by way of his March 13 win at Phoenix Raceway.

Briscoe racked up a pair of top-20 finishes in last year’s Cup Series races at Kansas with a best finish of 19th in the October event. Before he arrived in the Cup Series, Briscoe scored several strong runs at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series. Among his four Xfinity Series starts there, he has a pair of top-three finishes, including a win in opening race of the Round of 8 in the 2020 playoffs. He also placed fifth in his lone NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Kansas.

Kansas is also the site of the last of Briscoe’s six ARCA Menards Series victories in 2016, which propelled him to the series championship. He totaled 14 top-fives and 18 top-10s in 20 ARCA races that year. In the October 2016 Kansas 150, Briscoe started from the pole and led twice for a race-high 67 laps to secure the victory by 1.464 seconds over Austin Cindric.

Cole Custer:
Sunday’s 400-mile race will be Custer’s 88th Cup Series start and his fifth at Kansas. His Kansas debut resulted in a seventh-place finish in July 2020 en route to earning that year’s Rookie of the Year honors, best of his previous four Kansas outings. It was his fourth top-10 through his first 19 Cup Series starts.

Custer has four Kansas appearances in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, the most recent three in the No. 00 SHR Ford and the first in the No. 5 entry for JR Motorsports, with a best finish of 11th in the 2019 event after leading a race-high 85 laps.

In his lone NASCAR Camping World Truck Series outing at Kansas, the 24-year-old from Ladera Ranch, California, qualified fourth and finished seventh in the No. 00 JR Motorsports entry in the May 2016 race.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS

We’re truckin’ along to Kansas in our Ford Mustangs, and you’ll definitely want to check out our fresh wraps for the week.

What Our Drivers are Saying:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Light #ForTheFarmers Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Your history at Kansas is impressive. Three wins, five second-place finishes, 11 top-threes, 12 top-fives, 19 top-10s and 949 laps led across 32 career NASCAR Cup Series starts. What makes you so good there?
“I think Kansas has been a great racetrack and, really from a driver’s standpoint, a fun racetrack because of the fact that it’s worn in so well. You can race at the top of the racetrack, which is the preferred groove as the tires wear out. It’s faster at the bottom of the racetrack on new tires. But as a driver, having options is something that is a lot of fun. With Atlanta having been repaved along with some of the other racetracks, Kansas has become one of the more unique racetracks because of the fact the asphalt and the shape of the racetrack is so driver-friendly, as far as where you can drive on the racetrack. You can literally drive from the wall to the apron all the way around the racetrack. So, it’s a fun racetrack. It’s been good to us and, hopefully, we can continue that trend on Sunday in our Busch Light #ForTheFarmers Ford Mustang.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Throwback Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How would you assess the speed of your cars right now?
“The results have not shown it recently, but we have had top-10 runs every weekend. We got caught two laps down on pit road in Dover with at least an eighth-place car and, last weekend at Darlington, we had a top-10 car, but pit strategy is always tough there. The speed is there, the team is there, the pit crew has been on it. We continue to show speed no matter what the track configuration is, so I think we’re where we want to be. We just need to capitalize on those good days and stay out of trouble.”

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers / Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

The last few races haven’t gone as planned, so is this Sunday’s race at Kansas a chance for the No. 14 team to turn things around?
“I’m excited to get to Kansas. I think we’ve shown a lot of improvement on the mile-and-a-halves this year and we’ve definitely and speed. If we can put everything together and get a good starting spot I think we should be able to turn things around. The last few weeks haven’t been the best but we’ve got a good group of guys who don’t give up and I know we’re capable of more, we just need everything to go right to put ourselves in position for another win.”

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com / Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You’re coming off a potentially strong finish that came to an abrupt end when you got caught up in a late-race accident at Darlington last Sunday. Do you feel there is momentum as you head to Kansas this weekend?
“Yeah, right when we had things turning around, we got caught up in the wreck on the backstretch. We’ve had a lot of things not go our way this year, but all you can do is move on to the next one, and that one is a pretty racey track at Kansas. Hopefully we can build on the positives from Darlington. Kansas is actually a tough racetrack. You have to move around and work the different lanes. You have to have the speed, as well, obviously. Track position is going to be huge and how you work the strategy is important. It’s a track where you have to put everything together. You have to make sure you can work the lanes good, and work them from the bottom to the top of the track.”

2022 SEASON UPDATE: FROM THE BOSS

At SHR, we’re focused on relentless progress. Hear from the boss Tony Stewart on our 2022 season so far and what he’s seeing from the team and the Next Gen car.